William 'Rick' Hinson Jr. named University Building Official

William "Rick" Hinson Jr., formerly a principal and project manager for The Structures Group Inc. of Williamsburg, Va., has been named the University Building Official at Virginia Tech.

In this newly created position under Virginia’s Higher Education Restructuring Act, Hinson will oversee the new university program responsible for local enforcement of the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (VUSBC) for construction work on campus as well as the off-site property owned by Virginia Tech. The Office of the University Building Official will review plans for new construction and renovation projects, and will perform construction inspections required by the VUSBC. In addition, Hinson will issue all permits as required by the building code.

The Office of the University Building Official was established to improve the university’s ability to successfully manage an aggressive campus building program. Over the next three years, Virginia Tech anticipates spending approximately $600 million on new construction and renovation projects.

"University projects are very complex from a building code perspective," said Michael Coleman, associate vice president for facilities. "Rick is exceptionally knowledgeable and experienced in code enforcement, and will help the university manage construction projects and their costs without compromising on project utility or safety."

As a principal and professional engineer with The Structures Group Inc., Hinson provided building code plans review; forensic analysis; and structural design of residential, educational, commercial, industrial, and highway structures. As a project manager, he supervised the coordination of construction documents including drawings and specifications with regard to the applicable municipal and state building codes.

Prior to working in the private sector, Hinson also worked as a plans examiner for the James City County (Va.) Code Compliance Department. Prior to working with James City County, he served in a number of engineering and management positions for Virginia Electric and Power Company, now known as Dominion Power.

Hinson is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the International Code Council (ICC), and the Virginia Building and Code Officials Association. He received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Virginia Tech. He has his professional engineering registration from the Commonwealth of Virginia and holds a number of certifications in code enforcement, including Certified Building Official from the ICC and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, engaging approach to education, preparing scholars to be leaders in their fields and communities. As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers 240 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 31,000 students and manages a research portfolio of $513 million. The university fulfills its land-grant mission of transforming knowledge to practice through technological leadership and by fueling economic growth and job creation locally, regionally, and across Virginia.